The hottest Sports Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Sports Topics

Real Rooney Rule Has Never Been Tried!

House of Strauss • 28 implied HN points • 03 Feb 26
🎾 Sports Football Coaching Diversity Media Policy Hiring Race
  1. NFL media and insiders are again focused on racial representation after this hiring cycle produced no Black head coaches.
  2. Critics say the Rooney Rule and the league’s racial-bureaucracy approach are flawed and haven’t been truly tested, so the NFL should rethink how it handles race in hiring.
  3. Race labels are messy—cases like Mike McDaniel show that official definitions don’t match public perception, which makes the whole system feel arbitrary.
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The Corner Step-Up

Hoop Vision • 569 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🎾 Sports Basketball Strategy Analysis Offense Coaching
  1. A new ball screen continuity called 'The Corner Step-Up' involves players setting screens on the ball at the wing or slot area.
  2. Teams like Marquette, Texas A&M, and Houston are using the corner step-up action to create scoring opportunities, like open lanes to the basket or wide open shots.
  3. Texas A&M and Houston are running a unique offense featuring a patterned series of step-up screens called 'Continuity Step-Up.'

Can new look Chelsea actually succeed?

Grace on Football • 982 implied HN points • 03 Sep 23
🎾 Sports Football Finance Management Player analysis Team performance
  1. Chelsea has undergone a significant squad overhaul with new signings and a new manager.
  2. There are concerns about Chelsea's financial compliance with UEFA's rules and the long-term sustainability of the club's investments.
  3. The success of Chelsea's revamped team depends on the performance and development of young players in a stable environment.

Navigating calm waters at the NBA trade deadline

Good Morning It's Basketball • 471 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🎾 Sports NBA Trade deadline
  1. The 2024 NBA trade deadline saw confidence rather than desperation from true contenders, with most not making significant moves.
  2. The Dallas Mavericks were considered the most aggressive team at the deadline, making bold moves to acquire P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.
  3. The New York Knicks made moves to strengthen their roster, aiming to be Eastern Conference Finals contenders by adding Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks.

Weekend Recap

Knicks Film School • 714 implied HN points • 31 Dec 23
🎾 Sports Basketball Recap
  1. The Knicks lost two games against key conference opponents over the weekend
  2. The team struggled with uninspired play and defensive stops in both games
  3. The absence of a key player, OG, was felt and impacted the team's performance

A Deep Dive on a Vexing Question: Should It Be “World Champions” or “World’s Champions”?

Uni Watch • 511 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
🎾 Sports History Grammar Baseball Uniforms
  1. American sports culture tends to claim global status for its champions, even though it might be hyperbolic.
  2. The confusion between 'World' and 'World's' likely started with the early version of the baseball World Series called the 'World's Series.'
  3. The early use of 'World's' instead of 'World' in baseball's context carried over into common parlance for some time.

Talking NHL Ice Design With the World’s Premier Rink Historian

Uni Watch • 530 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
🎾 Sports Database
  1. David Crabtree is a leading expert in hockey ice design, focusing on NHL ice surfaces.
  2. TheFaceoff.net is a valuable online database dedicated to hockey ice design, similar to uniform databases for sports like baseball and football.
  3. Crabtree's interest in hockey graphics extends beyond ice design to other visual aspects of hockey, like uniforms and logos.

The Buffalo Bills have a decision to make

Go Long with Tyler Dunne • 511 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
🎾 Sports Football Team Management Playoffs Coaching Quarterbacks
  1. The Buffalo Bills need to decide whether to build around their head coach or go all-in on their quarterback, Josh Allen.
  2. The team's offensive strategy needs to revolve around maximizing Josh Allen's talents as a quarterback to reach their full potential.
  3. The Bills have to prioritize making strategic decisions to support Josh Allen if they aim to succeed in the long run, potentially even considering coaching changes.

The Clippers smash through their closing championship window

Good Morning It's Basketball • 550 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🎾 Sports Basketball NBA Championship Team Dynamics Free Agency
  1. The Clippers are extending contracts with their core players Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and potentially James Harden
  2. The team must compete for a title now due to aging core players and challenges from other teams in the West
  3. The Clippers need to make a championship push before younger teams in the Western Conference become dominant

You can't spell VEGAS POKER without E-V and R-A-K-E

Matt’s Five Points • 99 implied HN points • 26 Jun 24
🎾 Sports Gambling Poker Competitions Games Events
  1. Public poker tournaments can be tougher to profit from than home games because of the rake. The rake is a cut the casino takes, making it harder for players to win money.
  2. Expected value (EV) is important in poker. Good players can have positive EV, while many players in public games are actually losing players due to the rake.
  3. Starting a home poker game can be a better option for recreational players. Without the rake, more players can win, making it a more enjoyable experience.

The OWGR Wars Ended On Sunday And A Massive Sports Media Announcement

The Quadrilateral • 452 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🎾 Sports Golf Media Events
  1. The PGA Tour's changes and mishaps have inadvertently boosted LIV's case for ranking points.
  2. LIV Golf showed promise with strong competition and a well-produced event, highlighting potential flaws in traditional rankings.
  3. The establishment's shortcomings have facilitated LIV's credibility, calling for a reevaluation of ranking criteria and tournament formats.

The 2024 Auburn Football Roster Tracker

The Auburn Observer • 550 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🎾 Sports Football Roster Recruiting Scholarships College
  1. The 2024 Auburn Football Roster Tracker is regularly updated to cover all roster movements, including draft declarations, transfers, and recruitments.
  2. The tracker is not an official scholarship count but provides an overview of the state of the units and ongoing changes.
  3. Recruitment information listed is thanks to the work of recruiting writers from various platforms, encouraging readers to subscribe for deeper insights.

Re-Examining Opponent Breakdowns

MatchQuarters • 452 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🎾 Sports Data Analysis
  1. Defensive coordinators should approach game planning holistically instead of solely relying on numbers.
  2. Offenses aim to create space, while defenses work to constrain it.
  3. Simplify the process of breaking down opponents by focusing on key formations, movements, and plays to develop a comprehensive game plan.

The Extreme Everest Shortcuts Edition

Why is this interesting? • 1085 implied HN points • 23 Jan 25
🎾 Sports Climbing Adventure Technology Health Innovation
  1. Many inexperienced climbers are now trying to summit Everest because of commercial expeditions that let anyone pay their way up. This has led to unsafe conditions and even deaths on the mountain.
  2. A new method to climb Everest includes using xenon gas to help increase red blood cells and improve oxygen flow, letting climbers ascend quicker. This is a big change from the traditional, slower acclimatization process.
  3. The climbing community is split on this new approach, with some seeing it as progress while others worry it's too risky. History shows that shortcuts in tough environments can lead to serious consequences.

More Elite Stuff

Mets Fix • 432 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🎾 Sports Baseball
  1. The Mets are prioritizing arms with elite stuff in their bullpen signings.
  2. Jake Diekman's success in Tampa was attributed to adjustments in pitch mix and release point.
  3. The Mets' careful spending approach includes considerations for remaining payroll and tough roster decisions.

The Sunderland Vortex

Grace on Football • 845 implied HN points • 28 Feb 23
🎾 Sports Football Premier League Management
  1. The creation of the Premier League led to financial risks and rewards in English football.
  2. The 'Sunderland Vortex' traps teams in making short-term decisions to avoid relegation, sacrificing long-term planning.
  3. Clubs without significant wealth in the Premier League are at risk of being caught in the 'Sunderland Vortex' and facing relegation.

Curt Cignetti Is the Most Valuable Coach in College Football

Huddle Up • 47 implied HN points • 07 Jan 26
🎾 Sports College Football Coaching Sponsorships Fundraising Enrollment Revenue
  1. Curt Cignetti’s on-field success has driven big off-field gains like larger sponsorships, increased donations, and enrollment growth.
  2. Indiana’s run to the College Football Playoff semifinal triggered a contract market-review clause that will force the school to make him one of the highest-paid coaches.
  3. The combination of wins and clear financial and institutional returns makes him arguably the most valuable coach in college football.

How I Bet on Sports

Malt Liquidity • 19 implied HN points • 08 Feb 26
🎾 Sports Sports Betting Risk management Sports Analytics
  1. Treat live bets like zero-day options and favor underdogs: capture flow-driven slippage by betting more when odds lengthen, avoid hedging against your own positions, and use cash-outs or offsets sparingly.
  2. Construct parlays with a clear game "script" and correlated but independent legs: stick to 3–4 legs that are likely to resolve early to get leverage while avoiding simple coin-flip combinations, and remember books will dampen obvious same-player correlations.
  3. Manage risk first and know when to stop: be extremely risk-controlled until you’ve grown your bankroll, don’t chase losses or bet against your own views, let volatility work for you, and walk away when returns hit diminishing margins.